Sewing LINKY Party! Calling all SEWING Goddesses

Do your friends call you the supreme sewing queen? Join the party!
The Sewing Party at Dandelion House!

Calling all Sewing Goddesses! 

Starting today and every Tuesday in the month of May we'll meet here each week and keep each other in stitches!

NO RULES

Share anything you've sewn with your own two hands in any category.

 Here are some examples to get your juices flowing!

Aprons, Clothes, Crafts, Curtains, Table Cloths, Runners,Tea Towels, Quilts, Home Decor Projects, DIY and more!

Plus there will be a surprise GIVEAWAY along the way!

Mother's day is days away ( May 11th)  and I just had to share this simple Made to Match apron pattern I picked up at Joanne's Fabric Store last week. It's a Kwik Sew Apron pattern for Misses, Girls, and dolls too. Spring is taking it's sweet time to warm up here in the northeast so I'm gonna do some a little inside " sewing" while I wait things to warm up outside.
I couldn't get enough of all the beautiful floral patterns available for quilting, crafting, and sewing. If my budget would have allowed I could have gotten really carried away, but, I was able to restrain myself and chose 12 different patterns for a total of 6 Misses sized aprons.
My mom is going to sew along with me. She's making three and I'm making three.
The larger pattern  in the following photos will make up the body of the apron and the smaller, contrasting print will make up the large hem on the bottom and the pocket.

 

I love this modern red, black and white colorway. It's modern, fresh and funky!

Have you noticed all the orange-y, coral-y, color in fashion and home decor lately? While I love all things faded, time worn and well loved, I am equally crazy about COLOR. This fabric makes me feel as if summer is already in full swing. I swear I could hear the bees buzzing around me when I pulled it off of the shelf at the store.

This one is just about as cheery and inspiring as it gets...It's covered in bold and encouraging sweet sayings that make you feel young and as if anything is possible! 

Who wouldn't want to be covered in that while you work? 

I can't wait to see your sewing projects!

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 154 and SPRING TICKLES

 

Dear farmgirls! Welcome back to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! Week # 154 is live and ready for your fabulous posts from far and wide. There is so much beauty and business tied up in springtime... It's just the breath of fresh air we all need after a long, cold winter... Soon that will be a faded memory... The more greening of the earth, colorful flowers we see and springtime activities we get involved in the better. 

Are you ready to get hopping? You know what to do so bring it on... Farmgirl Style! 

You don't have to live on a farm to join this hop!

 Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJaneButters 

Brag a little ( or a lot ) about your farmgirl talents! Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals, quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea! Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends! 
 Be sure to visit your Farmgirl Friday Hostess for more great farmgirl posts! 
Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
And, Debbie of Farmgirl Unleashed 

 

Lastly, if you've got an extra minute, come on by the Beach Farmgirl Blog to see what's tickling my spring funny-bone! 

As always, we thank you for your loyal and continued participation... It's YOUR posts that make FARMGIRL FRIDAY such an inspiring and valuable resource for our readers! 

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 153 + My EASY Spring Wreath

Dear friends,
Welcome back to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 153.
It's great to be back after a little blog break last week... We missed you!
This week I was able to get some spring decorating done. We're hosting Easter Brunch and I needed a quick and pretty pick me up for one of my grapevine wreaths.

 

I always use silk flowers because they hold up to the fickle spring weather we have. 

Rather than buy a bunch of single blooms I purchased two 6 ' long garlands and wrapped them around each other. 

Then I laid it down on top of the wreath in a circle and attached it with garden wire ties every 6- 8 inches until it was snug and secure.

That covered the wreath quickly and gave it a pretty blossomy look but I wanted to add a few more decorative details so 

I added some additional clip-on daisy's and a cute bumblebee with sparkly wings for a final touch of spring.

He's tucked in nicely amongst the flower petals where he'll be safe from any April showers headed our way.

 I got all my supplies from Michael's Craft Store on sale for 60 % off which was a steal compared to what you could pay for a custom made wreath. Best of all, it really was easy. It took me all of 40 minutes to put it all together and take photos too! And no hot-glue gun mess either!

 It's just screams sunshine and happiness doesn't it? Who doesn't need more of that?

Now it's your turn! Show us what cha got!

Heidi, Debbie and I are always anxious to see what you've all been up to!

Be sure to visit your Farmgirl Friday Hostess for more great farmgirl posts! 

Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
And, Debbie of Farmgirl Unleashed 

You don't have to live on a farm to join this hop!

 Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJaneButters 

Brag a little ( or a lot ) about your farmgirl talents! Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals, quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea! Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

 Enter up to three entries per hop! 

Wishing you beauty, joy and love...and a very HAPPY EASTER with those you hold dear...! 
Love, Deb 

Gifts from the Chicken Coop~ Just in time for Easter

If you keep chickens, even a small flock, those farm fresh eggs will soon be taking up valuable storage space in your frig. Backyard chickens keepers can go from zero fresh eggs by the end of winter to multiple cartons in a few short weeks after the arrival of spring. That's why I love to gussy up a few cartons of eggs and give them away to family and friends on Easter Sunday.

I know Easter colors are usually soft and pastel-y but I just love traditional farm-y red and white gingham. So off I went to my local Michael's Craft Store to gather supplies!

  

One roll of red and white wired ribbon, ( any width )

small little yellow rose buds ( with floral wire attached for easy assembly)  and

 brown paper gift tags ( any color or size )

Oh, and fresh eggs of course!!!

 The possibilities are endless for what you could use to gift wrap a carton of eggs. 

Sh. Don't  tell my mom about the eggs! I want to surprise her!

Enjoy! 

Deb

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #152

Dear fellow farmgirl friends! Welcome back to your favorite weekend hop! This is your place to kick up your heals, toot your own horn and get down and dirty in the bragging department about all things farmgirl! Before you take off to enter your posts let's send out some well wishes to our fellow farmgirls who have been in the midst of the riotous weather this week. Baseball sized hail, flooding and tornadoes have brought challenges difficult to bare for some of you an we wish you all a quick recovery from mother natures recent attack on your homes and homesteads.

FUN farmgirl facts!

Our own Dolly Sarrio of Hibiscus House Family of Blogs has a new writing post over at Savannah Attic. She's the perfect southern lady addition for this beautiful and elegant home and garden blog. Stop by and say hello and check out Savannah Attic.

Did you know that your Farmgirl Friday Kitchen Board has over 350 pins and 900 plus follower?
Keep those delicious farm fresh recipes coming!

Farmgirl Chit-Chat rose over 250 members last week!
It's nothin' but farm baby posts from top to bottom right now! 
Think baby chicks, baby goats and cuh-ute baby lambs.







Sure gets a farmgirl in cuddly- wuddly mood I tell ya!

New farm baby from Clearwater Farm

Now, lets' get hopping shall we?
Heidi, Dolly, Debbie and I love to see what you're up to from week to week so let's get going!

Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
Dolly of Hibiscus House and Dolly is Cooking
Debbie of Farmgirl Unleashed 
and me of course!

You don't have to live on a farm to join this hop!

 Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJaneButters 

Brag a little ( or a lot ) about your farmgirl talents! Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals, quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea! Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

April~ The Urge To Purge!

  Dear friends, 

  As I walked around our yard today, barefoot for the first time since late last fall I couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief. The ONLY redeeming thing about this long, bitterly cold, dark, dank winter are the extra hours it has forced me to stay indoors and do some serious DE-cluttering, hence, my brief absence from blogging on a more regular basis. I hope you'll forgive me for not sharing pics of my car loaded to the gills with boxes of books, old clothes, and various household items we no longer need or find useful.

Tis the season for clearing the decks so I though I'd share a few "creative seeds" to help get YOU started if you haven't already. But wait! I'm not just talking about hauling boxes and bins full of " stuff" to the nearest donation center. Sometimes we humans need a good DE-cluttering too! 

Ya follow? I know this is certainly true for me and this year my urge to purge is stronger than ever!

 I think it has a lot to do with my trying a gazillion and one creative ideas last year. Imagine me standing in my front yard, blowing on a big ole fluffy dandelion sending out hundreds of scattering seeds hoping to find rich, fertile soil where they'll be loved, watered and nurtured into beautiful maturity. Romantic isn't it? In reality, I learned that's it's darned near impossible to take care of all  my little dream seeds at once and do it well. 

Most creative people have a hard time saying " no" to opportunities to try new things. I know, I'm one of em! And, I still believe in saying YES more often than NO. But what's a gal to do when she starts feeling stretched and worn out?

TAKE STOCK!

Ask your beautiful self these questions and BE HONEST!

1. Where is the bulk of your creative energy going?
2. Does it feed your creative soul or are you starving yourself by wasting your precious creative energy on tasks that don't fit your idea of living your best creative life? 
3.  Are you feeling inspired or are you perspiring too much and not feeling any forward movement? 

There's nothing wrong with letting go of a precious dream seed if it didn't quite take-off the way you had hoped. Perhaps it just isn't the right time and you need to put it on hold for now. Or maybe it just needs a new setting with different circumstances to take-root and bloom! It could be the hard truth is that it just needs to be ripped out of the ground and tossed into the compost heap where it can die in peace.

I had to make the tough decision this spring to close my booth Burlap and Bling. I learned that I enjoyed some parts of running a vintage booth and others not so much. It was a wonderful "creative experiment" and I'm glad I gave it a try! I'll admit, it hurt a little to let it go, but I LOVE the feeling of  more FREE space on my hard-drive ( and in my basement ) for new ideas to develop and grow! 

The  urge to purge is paying off. Rather than going into spring time feeling like the head juggler in a traveling circus act, I'm feeling a sense of calm and peace. I'm ready to get outside and be one with my gardens without the distraction of feeling like I should be doing something else.

 Life is too short for "shoulds"!

Here's wishing you all a beautiful April filled with fresh ideas and the energy to create and share as all creative seed sisters are meant to do!

Tell me, what are YOU making room for this spring?